Treatment of postpneumonectomy empyema with or without bronchopleural fistula

Bronchopleural fistula with empyema is an uncommon but tragic complication after pulmonary resection. The possible therapeutic procedures are discussed. The patient often requires multiple surgical interventions and prolonged hospitalisation. According to the literature, open window thoracostomy (OWT) and even mutilating interventions such as myoplasty or thoracoplasty have to be performed when simple chest-tube drainage and antibiotic therapy do not suffice as illustrated by the present case.